Checking Stick

ABSTRACT

The disclosure provides an elongate lacrosse practice checking stick having a central shaft with a proximal end and a distal end, a handle, secured to the central shaft near the proximal end, and having a length covering a portion of the central shaft, and a safety padding, secured to the central shaft near the distal end, and having a length extending along the central shaft from a portion along the central shaft out towards the distal end. The checking stick has an overall length between about 40 and 60 inches, varying for use by men or women. The safety padding is made of a cylindrically-shaped foam covered by fabric and has a length of approximately 24 inches and a diameter between three and six inches.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/924,857, filed Jan. 8, 2014, the disclosure and teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to sports equipment used in the sport of Lacrosse.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Lacrosse is a contact team sport which utilizes a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick. Lacrosse can be played by both men and women and all versions of the game require players to wear padding such as shoulder pads, gloves, helmets, elbow pads, cup, and sometimes rib guards. Some players wear protective face masks. The objective of the game is for a player to score by shooting the ball into an opponent's goal. The lacrosse stick is used to catch, carry, and pass the ball. Other players must keep the opposing team from scoring and attempt to gain the ball through the use of stick checking or poke checking (a defensive technique where a player uses his stick to stop an opposing player), body contact or positioning.

Lacrosse can be played by a team of varying numbers, each carrying a lacrosse stick. Most teams have at least one attack or attack man, one defender or defenseman and at least one midfielder. Attackers are players who are located on the offensive side of the field and focus on scoring. Defenders are players who stay on the defensive side of the field. Defenders focus on blocking an opponent's shot and work in conjunction with their team goalie. Midfielders are the players who play offense and defense and must be able to score against a goalie and run back to the middle of the field to play defense. There is one goalie for each team. The goalie is located in and outside the goal. Their main purpose is to try to stop opponents from scoring. All players, including the goalie carry a lacrosse stick of varying measures. Typically a lacrosse stick can measure from 40 to 52 inches long depending on the players position.

As Lacrosse is a physical game and requires much physical contact, the lacrosse check is an essential element of the game. Checking is not an attempt to injure or hurt an opponent. In fact, penalties can be called for excessively violent or overly aggressive checking. A check is prohibited below the waste (called “tripping”), above the shoulder (called “slashing”), or from behind (called “body checks”). Lacrosse players must be aggressive regardless of their position. When a lacrosse ball is loose, i.e., not in a players lacrosse net and instead rolling on the lacrosse field, checking techniques comes into play as players pursue the ball.

Cross checking is a legal lacrosse check technique wherein the checker holds their stick in both hands with hands close together, and pushes an opponent via the stick with both hands. It is effectuated by holding the stick in both hands and pushing the offensive player away. The key to an effective cross check is that the lacrosse stick should be held with both hands close together. If the hands are held shoulder width apart, like they would be when one is performing a bench press, then that type of check is not legal. The checking stick of the present disclosure can be used to teach defenders to keep their hands close together and not shoulder-width apart so as to avoid being called out for a cross checking penalty.

The checking stick of the present disclosure can also be used to teach offensive players to run through checks while dodging. Dodging is where players uses various moves to bypass opposing players in order to move toward the goal, pass or score without the risk of injury. Players can utilize the check stick and practice stick checking, where a player attempts to dislodge a ball from an opponent by attacking their stick with your stick. Such checks must not be excessively violent and the safety padding of the check stick can enable such restraint.

Thus, there exists a need for a device, similar to a player's lacrosse stick, which can be used to assist lacrosse players in practicing their permitted checking techniques.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure provides a checking practice stick made from an elongated shaft (such as one made from a high strength aluminum or other suitable material) and a pad. In a preferred embodiment, the checking practice stick can measure between about 40 and 60 inches in overall length in any desired one inch increment, such as 48 inches long, among other suitable lengths. A proximal end of the checking stick can include a handle portion for holding the checking stick. Preferably the handle portion has a length of about half of the overall length of the stick (e.g., in the preferred embodiment described above, 17-30 inches, at more preferably any desired one-inch increment). A proximal region of the shaft, i.e., the handle portion, can be provided with a rubber grip. A player can grip the stick anywhere along the handle containing the rubber grip. The opposing end of the shaft includes safety padding having a length extending from a portion of the central shaft out towards the distal end of the shaft. The safety padding is preferably made of foam, but can be made of any other material safe for using to check into the midsection of other players. The thickness of the foam preferably varies between 3 inches to 6 inches in diameter, depending on whether the stick is used for men's or women's lacrosse games. However, other thicknesses of the foam padding are also envisioned within the scope of this disclosure. The stick is used as a practice tool for teaching and perfecting the various lacrosse checking techniques.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is front facing right side perspective view of an exemplary checking practice stick in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an exemplary checking practice stick for men in accordance with the disclosure; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of an exemplary checking practice stick for women in accordance with the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a checking stick 10 in accordance with the disclosure. The checking stick 10 as illustrated includes a central shaft 12 with a handle 14 at a proximal end 16 of the shaft 12 and safety padding 20 at the distal end 18 of the central shaft 12. The safety padding 20 preferably comprises a cylindrical shape which extends length-wise along the central shaft 12 from a point along the center of the shaft 12 towards the distal end 18 of the shaft. In one embodiment, the safety padding 20 extends to the distal end of the central shaft 12, while in another embodiment, the safety padding 20 extends out past the distal end of the shaft 12.

The handle can be a rubber or other suitable covering grip for better gripping and holding of the checking stick by a player. The shaft 12 can be made from a variety of materials (metals, plastics, composite materials, and the like). In a preferred embodiment, the shaft 12 is made from an aluminum alloy (e.g., 6061T6 alloy). In another embodiment, the handle 14 and the central shaft 12 can both be made from plastic with a foam covering. The central shaft 12 is preferably between 17 and 24 inches long. The central shaft is preferably longer for use by men (seen in FIG. 2) than for use by woman (see in FIG. 3).

No matter what material the shaft 12 and handle 14 are made from, the safety padding 20 allows players to utilize the checking stick 10 to throw checks without a significant risk of injuring an opposing player. The safety padding 20 also allows players to run through ground balls (i.e. loose balls on the lacrosse field) without the risk of injury from checks to the hands, wrist, arms and back. The safety padding 20 is preferably made of foam enclosed by fabric, but can be made of any other material safe for using to check into the midsection of other players. The thickness of the safety padding 20 preferably varies between 3 inches to 6 inches in diameter. Preferably, the safety padding 20 is approximately 24 inches long, and weighs approximately 4-5 pounds.

The methods and systems of the disclosed embodiments, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for equipment and related techniques with superior attributes including, among other things, improved ease of use. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the devices and methods of the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the disclosed embodiments include modifications and variations that are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A lacrosse practice checking stick, comprising: a central shaft, having a proximal end and a distal end; a handle, secured to the central shaft near the proximal end, and having a length covering a portion of the central shaft; and a safety padding, secured to the central shaft near the distal end, and having a length extending along the central shaft from a portion along the central shaft out towards the distal end.
 2. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking stick has an overall length between about 40 and 60 inches.
 3. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 2, wherein the checking stick has an overall length of 48 inches.
 4. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety padding is made of foam covered by fabric.
 5. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 4, wherein the safety padding comprises a cylindrical shape.
 6. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 5, wherein the safety padding has a diameter between three and six inches.
 7. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 5, wherein the safety padding is approximately 24 inches in length.
 8. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a rubber gripping surface.
 9. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 7, wherein the handle is approximately between 17 and 24 inches in length.
 10. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 9, wherein the length of the handle is approximately half of the overall length of the central shaft.
 11. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 10, wherein the safety padding has a length defined by the length of the central shaft not covered by the handle.
 12. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central shaft is made of one or more of metal, plastic, and composite material.
 13. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 12, wherein the central shaft is made of aluminum alloy.
 14. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety padding extends to the distal end of the central shaft.
 15. A lacrosse practice checking stick as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety padding extends out past the distal end of the central shaft. 